"The Wind in the Willows" Greeting Card

"The Wind in the Willows" - this is my submission for Modern Eden Gallery's "Storybook" show. The show involved us artists creating different interpretations of classic children's books! I immediately went for Kenneth Grahame's 1908 "The Wind in the Willows" as it's one of my all time favorites. For my painting, being the artist I am, I wanted to include one of the few human characters in the book (the jailer's daughter, who helps Toad escape from prison). The background & layout & colors are reminiscent of Victorian painters like Waterhouse, Millais, Tissot (wonderful lazy river scenes). One of the things I always enjoyed about The Wind in the Willows is how the main characters are animals. They are usually highly anthropomorphized in more recent illustrations, but I specifically wanted to depict them as the critters they are. Mr. Badger, Rattie, Mr. Toad and even Mole (on the distant shore) can all be seen. Ever the bon vivant, Mr. Toad is playing cards and sharing a bottle of wine with his lovely companion. This is my own original acrylic painting, hand painted on panel, the original is currently at San Francisco's Modern Eden Gallery for the duration of the Storybook show, prints & canvases are available at Strangeling.com